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  [colpse]Chapter One Hundred a - Buff Bun

  “You were wonderful!” were Awen’s first words as I made it to the top of the stairs leading into the box where my friends were waiting. I hadn’t been allowed to see the hts because that would’ve beeing, but as soon as they were over I was let loose to go see my buddies.

  I braced myself a moment before Awen rushed up to me, expeg her to glomp me off my feet, but she paused a step before me, then ed me into a big happy hug. I ughed into her shoulder. “Thanks!” I said.

  “Oh, the way you beat up that big mean guy, and the way you dissected that Whisper person. I think I saw him g when he ran off the stage. It was...” Awen flushes. “It was wonderful to see you dominating people like that.”

  I grinned even harder. “It wasn’t as fun as it probably looked, but thanks. I’m sure you would have done well. We could train together so that we’re both good at, uh, dominating people.”

  “Awa.”

  I squeezed Awen back, then stepped to the side to grin at Amaryllis and Booksie. “Heya!”

  “Here,” Amaryllis said as she handed me a notebook. I stared at it for a moment before taking the leatherbound book and flipping it open. There were names and lists on it. “Those are all of the remaining petitors in your bracket. You’re down to just six possible petitors. Of those, there are three that you would have a difficult time fag.”

  I flipped the page over, skimmed a description of some woman that used a whip to fight, then hahe notebook back. “It’s not fair if I’m the only ohat knows the petition. But thanks for doing this for me, it’s awfully nice of you!”

  Amaryllis huffed and refused to take the notes back. “Most of the petitors have spent some time together, it’s a sure thing that they’ve studied each others’ tactid fighting styles and skills.”

  “Yeah, but they don’t know mine, so it’s fair.”

  Amaryllis pouted for just a moment before her self-trol took over and she she book from out of my hand. She must have been distracted because she didn’t see my thank-you hug ing.

  “You’re still the best,” I said. “And you made that for me, so it’s extra cool.”

  “I made it so that you’d win and earn us more money.”

  “Of course you did,” I said.

  “Don’t take that toh me!” she said before poking at my tummy with the back of her talons. I broke off the hug with a giggle.

  “Ah, hey Booksie!”

  “Hello,” Booksie said. “Do I get a hug too?”

  There was only one correct respoo that. It was weird hugging someoh big ears on their head like mi tickled a bunch when our ears ed around each other.

  “Okay!” I said. “So, what’s ?”

  Amaryllis shook her head. “ we sit down and enjoy the intermission. The bouts only resume in an hour or so. I’ve been meaning to see the puppet show.”

  “Are puppet shows a big thing where you’re from?” I asked.

  Amaryllis made a so-so gesture. “They’re not as on as actual theater pieces, but my family hired puppeteers for our yearly winter festival from a local troupe. I always ehem more than actors in rubbish es arguing on a stage.”

  “So, did you always secretly want to be one off those puppeteers?” I asked.

  “What? No, this css is merely extremely ve,” she said.

  “You didn’t dream of joining the puppeteer troupe and running off for a life of adventure and fun with them?”

  Amaryllis looked away. “No. That's a ridiculous idea.”

  We moved up to the front of the box and sat down on what had to be the best seats in the box. No one else seemed to make a fuss, some even poi me and I waved back at them.

  “Yoing to gain something of a following if you tinue,” Amaryllis said.

  “A following?” I asked.

  She nodded, and so did Booksie oher side. “Oh yes. People attach themselves to all sorts of silly things, most especially those that eain them, and your pathetic filing on-stage was nothing if ertaining. Of all the people in your bracket, you’re the ohat looks like she put the least effort inthts, and you’ve won every one so far.”

  I tapped at my . “Well, that’s obviously a bit wrong. The fights are very strange, but I wouldn’t call them easy by any stretch.”

  Amaryllis shrugged. “I’m telling you what it looked like from up here.”

  “You looked really impressive,” Awen said. “I, ah, was on the edge of my seat the eime you were down there.”

  I plopped myself down, Awen on the one side, Amaryllis oher with Booksie o her. “Thanks. So, um... should we eat while we watch the show?”

  There was music being pyed by three people, a lutist, a fiddler and someoh a big stand-up bass, all of them h in the air on ptforms just like Zac’s. They were keeping people eained with a folksy little beat--the fiddler was quite good, if a little frantic--while a group of workers hurried to ge the stage below, c it in wooden pnks and mounting a gantry-like thing above it.

  Amaryllis waved one of the people selling snacks over, and soon we all had pop and mystery meat--Booksie and I skipped that one--and different sorts of little cakes and cookies and one boy was selling fist-sized burritos filled with beans and tomatoes.

  Silver ged hands and Amaryllis bought enough food for a dozen people; the moment she started fshing money more sellers slid closer. Then, when we were running out of pce to put it all, she shooed them off with a beat of her wings.

  I was halfway through a chocotey pastry when the show below started.

  The gantries over the stage had beeo allow for a plex array of thin wires to be pced that held up a dozen puppets, and also bits of sery like little walls and cut-outs of bushes and trees that the puppeteers could pull up at a moment’s notice.

  An entleman with a deep voice sat in a lotus position atop a ptform and came to a halt above the stage. He cleared his throat, then began to narrate a story in a deep baritohat carried across the stadium.

  The py was cute. Something like A Midsummer Night’s Dream, but with more strange characters. I guessed that having magi a story lost some of its lustre when real magic was a thing. “Are fairies real?” I whispered over to Amaryllis.

  “They’re a myth,” she said right back. Her eyes were locked onto the se below.

  I stayed quiet for the rest of the show, Amaryllis seemed to be loving it so I didn’t wanna interrupt her fun.

  As the py went on and we finished up, I started to get a little thirsty. My backpack was still tucked uhe bench, so I pulled it out and started fixing myself a cup of tea, one ear opeo the py.

  It wasn’t b, not really. There was a lot of skill on dispy from the puppeteers, and the voice actors were really good. But pys weren’t my thing, and I had maybe been a little spoiled with good media bae.

  I gestured at Booksie and Awen with my kettle, then at their nods poured three cups.

  gratutions! Through repeated as your Tea Making skill has improved and is now eligible for rank up!Rank E is a free rank!

  I grinned. Finally!

  Tea MakingRank E -00%The Ability to make tea. Your Tea now assists the drinker.

  I hahe girls their cups while w about that st line. How could tea help? Other than the normal ways, of course.

  An insight on my cup helped a bit.

  A cup of bck tea brewed by an amateur. Increases alertness and wakefulness.

  “Huh,” I said. I downed my cup and reached for my bag again. A bit more boiling water, this time without adding anything to the kettle itself and I was making a sed cup of tea, this time with some dried dandelion flowers.

  A cup of dandelion tea brewed by an amateur. Cures minor bdder issues and reduces swelling.

  I shrugged and dowhe cup.

  The pnt I tried was milk thistle. The pretty pink flowers had gone a little stale in my pack, but they were still good for tea.

  A ilk thistle tea brewed by an amateur. Assists the liver. Helps process lesser poisons.

  That was useful! So far the buffs I’d gotten from the teas I had on hand weren’t all that impressive, but I was sure that could ge with the right tea. I finished off the st of my cup and then ed everything off with a pinagic before s it all away.

  I jumped in my seat as the show below ended and people cpped while the actors and puppet masters bowed. Amaryllis climbed to her feet and started beating her wings against her sides in some sort of weird parody of the chi dance. Was she... g?

  I joined in a moment ter. “You really ehat,” I said.

  “It was brilliant,” Amaryllis decred. “The py was a little stale. An old story with nothio it, but the motion and skill those puppeteers dispyed. They truly know their craft. I want to meet them.”

  “Sure!” I said. “We go do that right now, if you want.” I scratched my head just uhe rim of my hat. “I o, ah, stop by an apothecary, if one is open.”

  “What for?” Amaryllis asked.

  “Just need some herbs,” I said.

  She cocked her head to the side. “I thought you were against cheating.”

  I shook my head. “No no, my Tea Making skill, it ranked up. I ow buff myself with tea. And I don’t o stop there now. We could go tomorrow?”

  “I hardly think you need more muscuture, as much as Awen would probably appreciate it.”

  “Huh? No, buff means... uh.”

  Amaryllis rolled her eyes. “I know what buffing is. , puppeteers first. There’s only so loo the intermission. We worry about your obsession with leafy water some other time.”

  “Cool!” I said. I grabbed Awen and Booksie and helped them to their feet. “Let’s go!

  “Miss Bunch?”

  I turo find one of the clipboard people standing in the row between benches. He looked quite studious with his board held up before him.

  “Yup, that’s me,” I said.

  “The match begins in half an hour. We’re gathering all the champions now. Could you follow me back to the waiting rooms?” he asked.

  “Aww, darn,” I said. “I’m going to say goodbye to my friends first, alright?”

  “Of course,” he said before stepping back.

  I turned and yoinked Booksie into a big hug. “I’ll see you in a bit!” I said.

  Then it was Amaryllis’ turn. I think I had trained her well because she didn’t protest against the cuddling at all. It was nice, especially since her feathers felt funny. “Do try not to make a fool of yourself,” she said.

  “I’ll try!” I said. “Er-- not to, that is.”

  She snorted and shook her head. “Moron.”

  Then it was Awen’s turn for an. “See you in a bit!” I said.

  “Awa, I’ll, I’ll be cheering you on, Broccoli.”

  “Ah, my number one fan, huh?” I said.

  “Yes. Yes definitely,” was her quick reply. “Beat the, um, stuffing out of them. But don’t get hurt.”

  I grinned and pulled back. “Okay! I’ll see you all once I’m done!”

  And with that, my little intermission ended.